Variable pitch propeller means



July 13, 1937. E. J. WEIBLE VARIABLE FITCH PROPELL'ER MEANS Filed May 27,' 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l N a 6 3 9J m /VV F/ y 2l v FJ u Q O0 7 L 7 2 /0 2 To ox a 1./ O o fm 515,115" 5f. 2 l. Qld ,N 1 `Z 3 2 n u q .Nu

A Homey VJuly 13,` 1937. E'. J. WEIBLE l 2,086,686

VARIABLE FITCH PROPELLER MEANS Filed May-27. 1935 2 sheets-Shen 2 /40 mE 0 @|134 36 EI/z \p n SL as 37 Re@ [3135 39 3J @ff f F725.

Inventor Attorney Patented July 13, 193? UNITE S TNT ONE VARIABLE FITCH PROPELLER MEANS Eddie J. Weible, Hillsboro, N. Dak. Appiication May 27, 1935, Serial No. 23,747 l Claim. (Cl. 17d- 68) This invention relates to variable pitch propeller means for use on wind motors, the general object of the invention being to provide governor means for automatically changing the pitch of the propeller in accordance with the speed of rotation of the propeller carrying member.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of several parts, to be hereinafter full described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in whichz Figure l is a fragmentary front view showing the invention applied to a generator operating wind motor, the front plate being removed and the parts being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of the inner end of the two propeller carrying shafts.

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing a modilcation.

Figure 5 is an elevation showing another modication.

In these drawings the numeral I indicates a hub member or casing which is connected to a shaft 2 and the numerals 3 and l indicate a pair of aligned shafts rotatably arranged in the casing and having their outer ends extending therefrom, said ends being connected with the propellers 5. Each shaft has its inner portion journaled in a bracket 6 by means of the anti-friction bearing 'I and anti-friction bearings 8 are provided for the outer part of each shaft, where the shaft passes through the casing and thrust bearings 9 are provided for the shaft and engage the bearings 8. The inner end of one shaft is reduced as shown rat Ii) with the reduced part extending into a recess I I in the inner end of the other shaft, anti-friction means I2 being arranged between the reduced part and the walls of the recess as shown in Figure 3.

A member I 3 is attached to the inner part of each shaft and has the oppositely extending ears I4 thereon.

A pair of oppositely extending stems I5 slidably pass through the headed bushings I6 which pass through the casing with their heads contacting portions of the outer circumference of the casing, these bushings being suitably held in place and a ball or sphere I7 is connected to the outer end of each stem. A clevis i8 is threaded to the inner end of each stem and is held in adjusted position by the lock nut I9 and a link 20 connects each clevis with an ear I4 on a disk I3 lof one shaft while a link 2l connects the clevis to an oppositely arranged ear I li of the member E3 of the other shaft. These links are pivotally connected to the ears and to the clevises. A washer or projection 22 is carried by each stem and forms a bearing for one end of a spring 23 which encircles a part of the stem and a part of the bushing and has its other end bearing against a portion of the inner wall of the casing. The open front end of the casing is closed by a cover plate 2d.

Thus it will be seen that during the rotation of the hub or casing the propellers 5 travel in an annular path and when the speed of rotation reaches a certain degree the member Il will move outwardly under the action of centrifugal force which will cause compression of the spring 23 and the link to move the members I3 in opposite direction so that the shaft 3 will be partly rotated in one direction and the shaft t in an opposite direction and thus the pitch of the two propellers will be changed to cause a reduction in the speed of rotation of the casing or hub and the shaft 2. When the speed is reduced the springs 23 return the parts to normal position and thus the speed of the device is automatically maintained at a constant speed.

In order to permit the governor means to be adjusted to secure different speeds of the device I provide a plurality of holes 25 in the stems I5 any one of which is adapted to receive a pin 26 which holds the washer 22 against inward movement by the spring.

As before stated the clevises can also be adjusted and the thrust collar 9 may be made adjustable to take up the play in the shaft.

The drawings show the invention applied to a wind motor operating a generator, the housing of which is shown at 21 and the end plate of the housing is of skeleton type or has openings in it so that the fan 28, having its hub 29 secured to the shaft 2, can draw air through the housing 2l. vA housing 30 is clamped or otherwise attached over a part of the generator housing and has openings 3| therein to allow the fan 28 to expel air through said openings, this air flowing through the interior of the generator to cool it. The housing 30 partly overlaps the casing or hub I but leaves clearance so that the hub or casing can turn freely.

Figure 5 shows a casing or hub I' made large enough to carry two sets of propellers 5', these propellers being arranged as shown in Figure 5. Otherwise the parts of the construction shown in Figure 5 is the same as that just described so it Will be understood that a pair of governors is provided for each set of propellers, the balls of the governor being shown at I1 in this figure.

In the modification shown in Figure 4 the balls I1 are connected to the curved arms 32, one of which is clamped to a shaft 4 as shown generally at 33 and the other of which is clamped in the same manner to the shaft 3. A link 34 con` nects the upper portion of one arm to a clevis 35 of a governor stem 33 while a link'31 connects the lower end of said arm to the clevis of the other governor stem 36'. A similar pair of links connect the other arm, above and below the shaft to which the arm is clamped, to the two clevises as shown in Figure 4.

Each stem-3iifextends through an inwardly extending bushing 38 carried by the hub and a spring 39 `partly encircles each bushing and the stem and bears against an adjustable washer 4Q on thestem.' Afbolt 4| -is threaded into. thel outer end of each bushing and is held in adjusted position bya lock nut 42, these bolts aoting as stops for limiting the outward movement of the stems.

A casing 43 has an ear lpivoted to thearm 32 anda rod 44 is pivoted to the other arm and has a head on its inner end, said rod extending into the casing 43 and said casing ,has a spring 45 therein bearing against the head of the rod 44 l and against a plug 46threaded in the free end of the casing through which the rodl 44 passes.

Thus as the hubl l" rotates to cause the propellers carried by the shafts to revolve in an annular path the governor means will control the speed of rotation by turning the propeller shafts as before explained and the governor means are all enclosed by the cover member 41 which is fastened to the hub. When an excessive speed is reached by the hub the ball carrying arm 32 will swing apart thus partly turning the shafts to change the pitch of the propellers and this movement is resisted by the spring 45 in the casing 43 and by the springs 38 acting against the washersof the stems 36:`

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent. It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:-

In a device of the class described, a hub, a pair of alignedshafts rotatably supported by the hub and extending therefrom; a propeller blade on each shaft at the outer end thereof, oppositelyI extending projecting parts connected to the inner end of each shaft, a pair of elongated slidably supported .members in thehub extending in opposite directions -and at right angles to the axis lof lthe shafts, each of said members providedwith a clevis at its inner end, a pair of links pivoted to the .opposite portions of=the `clevis on each member, one link'of each 'pair being pivoted to one projecting part of onelsha-t 'and thefother link tothe opposite projecting Apart oi the other shaft, spring means for resisting outward movement of the'slidingmembers,v and weight-*means for moving the directions by centrifugal force and againstfth'e action of said spring'rneans.

EDDIE J. WEIBLE'.

shafts ini opposite 

